Smoker&#39;s appliance



Feb 18, 1930. R. G. FLEMING SMOKERS APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 29, 1925 I NVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Febr 18, 1930 UNITED STATES ROBERT G. FLEMING, or BLOOMFJIIELD,

PATENT OFFICE,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SMOKADOR MANU- FACTURING (10., INC., OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SMOKERS APPLIANCE Applicationfiled December 29, 1925. Serial No. 78,150.

This invention relates to stands for receiving smokers waste, such asashes, cigarette and cigar ends, burnt matches, and the like, and theconstruction is such that such waste will be retained out of sight andsmell until such an amount of waste has been accumulated as makes itdesirable to remove the same.

One object of the invention is to provide a stand in which such wastemay be accumulated for a substantial period out of the way and withoutcontaminating the surrounding atmosphere with objectionable odor. In itspreferred form it is also such that the amount of waste accumulated maybe easily determined by inspection without the necessity of taking thedevice apart for that purpose.

Another object of the invention is to not only retain the waste out ofsight and smell, but also to so completely hide such waste that thedanger of fire from such accumulation will be eliminated.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a constructionwhich will lend itself admirably to direct association with articles offurniture, such as desks, chairs, tables, or stands.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whichwill permit, if desired, an ordinary article of commerce, such as aglass'fruit jar, to be utilized as the receptacle for receiving theaccumulated waste. For a fuller understanding of the nature and objectsof the invention reference should be had to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure-1 illustrates the inventionin side elevation and associated witha stand or table, Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal section on anenlarged scale, of the waste receiving unit of Fig. l, Fig. 3 is atransverse section of Fig. 2 on the line AA,

Fig. 4 is-a side elevation of ceptacle, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of Fig.

Referring now'more specifically to the drawing the numeral 1 indicates ahorizontal flange 9. Cigars,

platform 8 with their lighted;

the waste re-- portion as the top of an article of furniture,

this top, in the illustration, being the top of a 1 stand, asforinstance a tabouret, having four legs 2 which rest upon the floor, thetop of the stand being at a convenient height for use and as customaryin tables, stands, desks, and the like. It is to be understood that thestand of Fig. 1 is exemplary of various furniture frames which mayembody the invention. Supported on the stand is a Waste receiving unit,consisting of a waste receptacle 3 and a waste conducting tube 4,upwardly directed rom the receptacle 3 and having a waste entry aperture5 at its upper part, said aperture being remote from the receptacle andconvenient of access eXteriorly of the stand. Both the receptacle 3 andthe tube 4 are made of fireproof material, the tube 4, in the presentembodiment, being an upright sheet metal tube which is relatively longand narrow and the upper open end of which provides the waste entryaperture 5,- which aperture is of relatively small diameter comparedWith the length of the tube 4.

In communication with the upper end of the tube 4, through the wasteentry aperture 5, is an ash tray 6 in which the upper end of I the tube4 terminates, the bottom of the ash tray having an aperture which, inthe illustrated embodiment, is identical With the aperture 5, so thatsmokers waste deposited in the cone-like cavity of the ash tray 6 willgravi tate through the aperture 5 and the tube 4 into the wastereceptacle 3. In the embodiment illustrated the ash tray 6 is in effect,an outwardly flared upper part of the tube 4, the

ash tray and tube being separately made and y permanently brazedtogether at 7 so that the ash tray is fixed to the tube. The upper partof the ash tray may include a narrow annular platform 8 and a circulardepending cigarettes and the like may rest on the ends overhanging theinterior of the ash tray. Also mounted on the platform 8,/in anysuitable manner, are a match box holder 10 and a pair of resilientlycoacting gripper jaws 11, between which readily be inserted sidewise andsafely 'retained in place on the tray. The numeral 12 jaws a, cigar maybe compressed and seal the indicates ahandle or button removablyattached to the tray by the screw 13, for conveniently lifting the unitfrom the stand.

The waste receptacle 3 may easily be attached and detached front thetube 4 and to that end the receptacle is provided with screw threads 14and 15, the thread 14 extending almostbut not quite around thecylindrical neck 16 of the cylindrical receptacle as the screw thread 15extends only a short distance therearouml. Carried by and lixed tothe-tube 4 so as to move with the latter is a centrally aperturedreceptacle cover 17 having inner countmpart thread de ices 18 tocooperate. with the outer threads 14 and 15 on the receptacle, It willthus be understood that the open moutlrlll of the receptacle 3 may beintroduced vertically part way into the cover 17, whereupon partialtacle relative'to the tube 4; will result in engagement between thethreads of the cover and receptacle and attachment of the receptacle tothe tube 4. On the receptacle is the circumferential flange 20, andbetween said flange and the lower edge of the cover 17 is a rubbergasket, or washer 21, which latter will joint of the coupling in theactof coupling so as to prevent. pa ssa go of gas through the couplingto or from the receptaclewhen screwed home. The cover 17 is made ofmetal, is opaque and is disposed to overlie the mouth 19 and to surroundthe upper part of the lateral wall of the receptacle. 1

Fixed to the tube 4, in the particular form shown in Fig. 2, andextending downwardly so as to surround the upper part of the receptacle3 'is the skirt member 22. Preferably this member is made of sheet metalbrazedto the tube 4 somewhat above its lower end. This skirt memberactsas a protective hood for the upper end of the receptacle and partlyconceals the lateral wall of the receptacle. In this form the lowenpartof the receptacle 3 preferably projects below the lower Q( ge of theskirt 22 when the receptacle is operatively may readily be eas coupledto the tube 4, so that the receptacle 3 ly grasped in the hand formanipulative purposes without interference by the hood. In theembodimentillustrated the member 22 is an opaque metal hood which islaterally spaced as to permit free passage of'the receptacle past theopen end-of the hood. By

reason of the the hood or skirt 22 is also adapted to serve as aprotecting cushion ing, or steadying device, as will appear.

In the top 1 of the stand, Fig. 1, is an upper opening 23, the diameterof which is such as to permit free passage of the receptacle 3, thediameter of said opening being, however, less than that of the ash tray,so that when the unit consisting of the tube 4, ash tray 6, skirt 22,and waste receptacleB, is operatively. assembled together, this unitstructure described 3, whererotation of the recepfrom the receptacle 3so upper support-adapted to underlie and sup-' port said flange or tray.In this wise said waste receiving unit will hang or be. pendant on thestand or other article of furniture in a manner permitting ready removaland replacement as av unit and so that the bottom of the receptacle isabove the bottom of the stand and the floor on which the stand rests.This unit may be laterally supported by a crossplate 24 which I willterm a lower support and which is carried by the legs 2'above the bottomof the stand, said cross plate having a. lower opening in verticalalignment with the upper opening 23 and of sufficient size readily topermit the receptacle 3 to pass therethrough and also to permit theskirt 22 to be nicely fitted therein. In this wise the lateral wall inthe opening in the plate 24 and the hood 22 will coact to support thewaste receiving unit against lateral swinging movement. Furthermore, theskirt efiiciently guards the upper part of the receptacle against chanceblows which might damage it; and the outer walls or parts of the articleof furniture, as for instance the legs, 2, also guard the receptacle 3from accidental blows. The numeral 26 indicates a metal guard on thecross-plate 24 coincident with the edge of the lower opening 25, saidguard 26 serving to protect the plate 24 from disfigurement therewith.

The waste receiving unit consists primarily of the tube 4 having thewaste receptacle 3 pendant from its lower end and under hanging and incommunication with said tube, and carrying the tray 6 at its upper end,and the protecting skirt at its lower end, this unit being a receiverfor smokers waste and the receptacle'being of a volume to retain a largeaccumulation of waste. This unit may be made relatively light in weightso as to be adapted ported and inverted, or otherwise manipulated by theuser. Such a unit is, therefore, readily adapted to be removed by theuser from its condition pendant from the article of furniture when soused and may be transported to any point desired whereupon, by simplemanipulation, the receptacle may be easily separated from the tube 4,emptied and thereupon operatively reassembled on the tube 4 and thewholeonce more easily replaced as a unit in the article of furniture,

easily to'be lifted, trans-- may be introduced, receptacle foremost,from wherein it will immediately rest in position 3 ready to receivesmokers waste until further service and removal is required.

The waste receiving unit above referred to when usetlarith a pieceoffurniture should not only be-of the'light weight and general structurelending it to readytransport and manipulation by hand but as far aspossible should be made of durable material so that in the exigencies ofservice it will not be damaged. But when waste receiving units of thetype described herein are opaque, it is not practical to determine ifthe receptacle 3 is filled and ready for discharge, .orcleaning, withoutdismemberilng the unit so as to permit one to observe the condition ofthe interior of. the receptacle by looking directly into the mouth ofthe detached receptacle. Furthermore, the unit will often times beassociated with adiifercnt article of furniture than the standspecifically illustrated in Fig. 1, and whatever type be the article offurniture, the receptacle will be vertically, deeply situated therein,although the waste entry aperture 5 and the cavity of the tray 6 will bein communication with the atmosphere and of convenient access exteriorlyof the article of furniture. The receptacle 3 will provide, as it were,a. pocket in and surrounded by the article of furniture and thereforein'a relatively dark location. "To render the complete articleconvenient and satisfactory for service and to lessen the difiiculty indetermining if the unit requires service, as for instance thatreceptacleB requires-to be emptied, the structureof the-receptacle is ofsuch a character as to expose its interior to view through its wallsand, in the present embodiment, this object is accomplished by makingthe receptacle of glass or other translucent material.

For the most eflicient waste receiving conditions the tube-4- should beimperforate and straight and lead directly into the upper end of thereceptacle and it results that when the receptacle is translucent,observation of the -interior of-the receptacle may be made by lookinginto the waste entry aperture 5,

' which thus serves as a peep opening, the receptacle being visible asan illuminated object at the lower endof the tube 4. By making the tube4 opaque, as of metal, lateral intermediate light between the peepopening and the receptacle is cut off, thus establishing a lightcontrast which accentuates the visibility of the interior of thereceptacle. When the structure of the article of furniture is such as toexpose the receptacle to ample light under normal conditions of use, asfor instance as illustrated in Fig. 1, in which-the lower part ofreceptacle 3 is exposed beneath the lower support 24, inspection of thereceptacle is possible by looking through the peep opening while theunit rests on the stand; or, when the receptacleis in a comparativelydark room, the unit may readilybe, raised and the receptacle inspectedeither-through its side or its bottom.

The waste receiving unit is gas-tight; it is impervious to entry andexit of gas except at a point removed from the receptacle, as

through the waste entry aperture 5. As the tube is relatively long andupstanding, and the aperture 5 relatively small, there is practically nochance for air currents to be established in the unit and it is found inpractice that the unit, even when containing long standing'waste, ispractically odorless, and no objectionable odor arises therefrom.Although the receptacle 3 be made of glass, it is guarded from chanceblows by the member 22- and/or the surrounding parts of the furniturearticle; it is readily replaceable when broken, and its sanitaryfeatures render glassa peculiarly efiicient material for the receptacle,in addition to its quality permitting inspection of the interior of thereceptacle and lending to convenient and efficient service. In theillustrated embodiment the diameters .of-the tube 4 and of thereceptacle 3 are such as to permit them to be grasped one in eitherhand, for purpose of manipulation to effect attachment and detachment.As the while unit referred to is light in weight, it may be easilyhandled by anyone and transported, served, and removed and replaced onits stand with no difliculty whatever.

It is to be noted that a feature of the unit hereinbefore referred to isthe retention of Y smokers waste without discharge for relatively longperiods of time, as for instance, a week or a month, dependent uponconditions of use. Ina club or hotel discharge would probably berequired oftener thanin' a privatehousehold. Applicant has discoveredthat when the receptacle 3 is made-0f glass or lined with glass'it isnot injured by the presence'of long standing waste nor by the fumes andgases retained along with the waste. The fumes and gases will attackbrass and steel, especially when the parts made of such material containany fissures or cracks, with the result thata receptacle made of theseor similar metal materials tends to have its walls weakened bybeingchemically acted upon by fumes and gases of the waste; Furthermore, ifany water is in the receptacle the smokers" waste combines therewith toform lyewhich will attack the metal receptacle. Such objections areavoided by the glass receptacle, the glass being non-oxidizable' andnon-corrodible. is rust-proof and acid-proof. Hence the feature of theglass receptacle has special re-- lation to a most important factor ofthe unit above mentioned, namely, the retention of smokers waste and thefumes and gases thereof-for a long period of time.

Since certain changes may be made in th article and differentembodiments of them- Glass,

vention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itis'intended that all matter contained in the above description or shownin. the accompanying draw ng shall herein described. and all statementsofjthe scope of the invention which, as a matter of lan'guag(. mightbesaid to fall therebetwe'en.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: A

1.An article of the character described including a frame, a wastereceiving unit carried by said frame and bodily removable threfronnsaidunit comprising a long and relatively narrow waste conducting tube, a

flared waste receiving tra-y at the upper endthereof, a waste receivingreceptacle at the lower end thereof, means for detachably con-' nectingsaid receptacle adjacent the lower end of the tube to form asubstantially airtight joint between the receptacle andthe tube, andmeans at'the upper part of the frame for suspending said unit from apoint near its upper end. i

i 2. An article of the character described including a frame, a wastereceiving unit carried by said frame and bodily removable therefrom,said unit comprising a long and relatively narrow waste conducting tube,a flared waste receiving tray at the upper end thereof, a wastereceiving receptacle at. the lower end thereof, means for detachabl ycon- "necting said receptacle. adjacent the lower end of the tube toform a substantially airtight joint between the receptacle and the tube,meansat the upper part of the frame for'suspending said unit from apoint near its upper end, and means carried by the frame for laterallysupporting the lower part of theunit.

3. A device of the character described including in combination, astand, a waste receiving unit including a waste conducting tube and aWaste retaining receptacle, said unit being suspended from its upper endon said stand and'said tube and receptacle being detachably connectedtoeach other with the receptacle in position to receive waste dischargingfrom said tube.

4. A deviceof the character described including in combination, a stand,a waste receiving unit including a waste conducting tube and a wasteretaining receptacle, said unit being suspended from its upper end onsaid stand and said tube and receptacle being detachably connected toeach other with the receptacle in position to receive Waste dissaid unitalso in- .charging from saidtube,

eluding a skirt covering and protecting the upper-part of thereceptacle.

5-. A receiver for smokers waste comprising a unit of relatively lightweight adapted to be easily lifted, transported and inverted by theuser, said unit including in combinationa long upright waste conductingtube having a flared waste receiving entry aperture at its upper end, aremovable glass waste receiving receptacle at the lower end of saidtube, means for detachably connecting said glass wastereceivingreceptacle in operative position relatively to the lower end of the tubefor receiving waste passing downwardly theret-hrough, and a skirtoverstanding and protecting the upper part of said receptacle. 6. In adevice of the character described, a stand, a unit of relatively lightvweight adapted to be easily lifted, transported, and inverted by-theuser, said unit including in combination a long upright waste conductingtube having at its upper end a flared waste receiving entry, a glasswaste receiving receptacle at the lower end of said tube and in positionto receive waste passing downwardly thercthrough, means for detachablyconnecting said glass receptacle in said position, a skirt overstandingand protecting the upper part of said glass waste receiving receptacle,and means at the upper part of the stand for-suspending said unit onsaid stand from the upper end of the latter.

7. In a device of the character described, a stand, a unit of relativelylight weight adapted to be easily lifted, transported, and inverted bythe user, said unit includingin combination a long upright wasteconducting tube having at its upper end a flared waste receiving entry,a glass waste receiving receptacle at the lower end of said tube and inposition to= rcceive waste passing downwardly therethrough, means fordetachably connecting said glass rece'ptaclein said position, a skirtoverstanding and protecting the upper part of said glass waste receivingreceptacle, means at the upper part of the stand for suspending saidunit on said stand from the upper end of the latter, and'means lowerdown on saidstand for laterally Supporting said unit.

8. In a smokers stand, a supporting frame, a removable waste receivingunit, said unit comprising a relatively long waste conduct" ing. tubehaving a flared waste receiving entry at its upper end, a glass wastereceiving receptacle detachably connected at the lower end of said 'unitin line with said tube to receive waste passing downwardly therethrough,and means at the upper part of said stand for engaging the upper part ofsaid unit to support said unit in suspension therefrom. x v V Intestimony whereof I- afiix'my signature.

ROBERT G. FLEMING.

